Calgary mayor calls federal budget 'laughable' for lack of direct city funding

CALGARY · Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas criticized the federal budget released Thursday, calling it "laughable" for its lack of direct commitments to his city. The 514-page document, which projects a $62.3 billion deficit for 2026-27, names Calgary only twice. The sole specific infrastructure project identified for the city is the Silver Springs Community Centre expansion. Farkas said this is disappointing given Calgary's nearly $50 billion infrastructure deficit forecast over the next ten years. "To see the only mention of the City of Calgary whatsoever to be maybe a million- or two-million-dollar project and expansion to an already existing community association facility . . . (it's) quite disappointing, especially when we consider that we're facing a near $50-billion infrastructure deficit over the next 10 years," Farkas told reporters. In June, the city's intergovernmental affairs committee had requested $845 million from Ottawa for key projects. Those requests included $190 million for the Bearspaw South feeder main replacement and $150 million for a fieldhouse at Foothills Athletic Park.

Other unfunded requests were $255 million for a new transit bus facility and $80 million for a Blue Line LRT extension to the airport. Farkas said the budget creates several funding streams for municipalities but offers no clarity on how the money will be distributed. He suggested a per-capita allocation would help cities plan. "If I could take it to the bank to know that we will have an entitlement, an allotment of five per cent of that fund, I think that could ease our approach into budget deliberations," he said.

He described the current lack of detail as "almost comically vague." The budget commits $1.2 billion in 2027-28 for mental health and addictions care and $44.7 billion over 11 years to address homelessness. It also allocates $1.5 billion over nine years for recreational facilities through the Build Communities Strong Fund. Farkas noted the vagueness is a national issue affecting most municipalities. He expects more funding announcements after federal-provincial agreements are finalized. "It would stun and shock me if that was all that was being spent here in Alberta," Farkas said, referring to the few projects named in the province. He welcomed the budget's focus on housing and homelessness, calling them major priorities for Calgary. The document does not list all federal investments the city has already secured, such as $29 million for a water project and $26 million for the Olympic Oval from funds established in the 2025 budget.

Farkas also said he wanted support for cities facing costs from federal retaliatory tariffs, noting Calgary has over $400 million in potential exposure. "It is a material amount of impact that the federal government is incurring on local municipalities, and we're going to continue to make the case that we need to invest in the critical infrastructure," he said. Despite his criticism, he said he would wait for more details before dismissing the budget entirely. The budget outlines over $142 billion in new spending aimed at attracting private investment and boosting competitiveness. Your Space Hamilton reported in November that it also commits $50 billion to double electricity generation.

With files from Yahoo News and Calgary Herald